I first met Margarita Thomakou on genforum.com in 2008
(before the site was purchased by Ancestry) when she responded to my query
about my Greek Flessouras family. In her response, Margarita said she lived in
Athens and enjoyed helping Americans look for their
Greek roots. We e-mailed occasionally over the years, just to keep in touch.
About eight months ago, I let Margarita know that we were planning our first
visit to Greece. She was as excited to welcome us to her country as we were to visit!

Our tour was part family history, part Greek history and a
whole lot of Hellenic hospitality. Margarita met us at our hotel in Athens, and
we planned our itinerary. First we would go to Pigadakia, the ancestral village of the Flessouras clan,
which is in the Peloponnese between Tripoli and Sparta.

By
Pitichinaccio (Image:Peloponnese relief map-blank.svg) [GFDL

(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html), CC BY-SA 3.0

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), GFDL

(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0

(http://creativecommons.org/licenses

/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

We had rented a car, and Margarita suggested that we follow
her. It was good to have two cars because sometimes Margarita would have some
business to conduct (she is in the real estate field) while we did some
sight-seeing.

“The cradle of civilization” is a phrase many of us heard in history class
applied to Greece. The Greeks are very proud of their history, including their
painting, sculpture, theater and poetry. But they have a special reverence, as
Margarita attested to, for the honor, courage, and fighting prowess displayed
over the eras by those who have inhabited the Greek land.

Our first visit was a day trip out of Athens to the town of Marathon. Many Americans, even those who
participate in running marathons, may not know where the word comes from. Well,
now I do. But first some history. Margarita took us to the site of the Battle of Marathon that occurred in 490 B.C. when the outnumbered Athenians
repelled the Persians.

The battle field at Marathon as it looks today,
9/6/2015, taken by Bert Schuster

Battle field relief, taken by Bert
Schuster 9/6/02015

Then she gestured to a huge hill behind us. This large mound is the final
resting place of the Greek soldiers who gave their lives in the battle.

Burial Mound at Marathon, taken
by Bert Schuster 9/6/2015

And how
did the modern marathon come from this historic battle? After the Greek
victory, a messenger was dispatched to take the news to Athens – running all
the way. The modern contest is a little over 26 miles, the same length as the
distance from Marathon to Athens.

The day after visiting Marathon, we started our trip to
Pigadakia. The chance to visit one’s ancestral village is a rare and precious gift. Just
before reaching the village, Margarita introduced us to a small restaurant all
by itself on the side of the road, a treasure as it turned out that you would
never find unless you had a wonderful guide. We sat eating and discussing
Pigadakia and the Flessouras clan. A neighboring diner had been listening to
our conversation and pointed out, in Greek of course, another departing diner:
“There, there is a Flessouras.” Well, luck, happenstance and chance are welcome
companions on any ancestor-hunting trip.

Street in Pigadakia, taken by
Bert Schuster, 9/6/2015

Margarita followed the man thus described and struck up a
conversation. And most certainly, the gentleman was a Flessouras from
Pigadakia! He came with us to show us the small village and talk about his
family tree. As of right now, my Flessouras tree is short – it starts with my
great grandfather, Peter (Panoyiotis.) I am still working on going further
back.

Street in Pigadakia leading to small shrine,
taken by Bert Schuster 9/6/2015

After Pigadakia, we headed to the Mani, Margarita’s ancestral homeland. She is
proud to be from Maniot stock, and she knows the history of the land.

By al-Qamar
(File:Peloponnese relief map-blank.svg)

[GFDL
(http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)],

via Wikimedia Commons

We saw a
lot of historical towns and villages, but two places stand out in my mind.

First, is Aeropolis (see map above), where, as Margarita
told us proudly, the Greek War of Independence started in 1821. We stood in the
very square where Petros Pierrakos (his birth name), later known as Petros or Petrobey Mavromichalis, declared war
on the Ottoman Empire which had ruled Greece since 1453. In addition to the historical significance of Aeropolis, the village has much
natural beauty and traditional houses.

Petrobey, a Greek Hero,
in Aeropolis taken
by Bert Schuster 9/9/2015

Typical Aeropolis street, taken by
Bert Schuster 9/9/2015

Still life, Aeropolis, taken
by Bert Schuster 9/9/2015

A second Mani destination with fascinating history was
Vathia with its breathtaking sea views, century-old
towers standing proudly next to new models, and acres of carefully dug terraces
by farmers of old.

Sea view from Vathia, taken byBert Schuster 9/9/2015

Margarita explained that the towers were built not only to protect the
residents of Vathia from attacks from foreigners but also from the onslaughts
of feuding neighbors.

Towers and terraces of Vathia, taken byBert Schuster 9/9/2015

After a few days of sightseeing, it was time for some rest
and relaxation. Margarita took us to her favorite beach and hotel in this part
of the Mani, the Alkion Hotel/Apartments owned by Yannis Bechrakis.

What
a paradise! After a day at the beach or visiting nearby scenic/historical
attractions, you have only a short drive to Gythio with its choice of restaurants.

Our week in the Peloponnese with Margarita came to an end
all too soon. We left her to finish her business in the Mani, and we took off
to Napflio and then to the islands of Naxos, Santorini, and Rhodes.

Two weeks
later on our last day in Athens, Margarita had a surprise for us. She took us
to her favorite hair salon which is located in the upscale Divani Caravel Hotel.

About Me

My first ten years were spent in Chicago, IL and the next ten in Tucson, Arizona. In 1967, I graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in secondary education. I taught English in San Francisco public schools for twenty four years. Then I re-invented myself as a grants manager and held a variety of positions in local and state governmental agencies, colleges and universities in California and North Carolina. In 2003 I completed a Master's degree in Public Administration at San Francisco State University. Now I am retired and doing genealogy full time.